Another wave of layoffs has hit Nevada’s casinos.
Best Western’s Casino Royale, which is located on the Las Vegas strip, is set to lay off 98 employees due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the property.
98 layoffs at Casino Royale
Of the 98 employees, 49 will be dealers, while the other employees will include a pit manager, slot hosts, other slot employees, cashiers and surveillance staff.
Under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988 (WARN Act), employees are typically required to provide 60 of advanced notice for mass layoffs. However, Casino Royale’s operator said this was not possible due to the “unexpected and unprecedented” impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Instead, the operator disclosed information of the layoffs on 10 August, which is when the layoff process began.
The operator also said that the layoffs were necessary due to the “unforeseeable business circumstances” caused by the pandemic.
Employees will be unable to use “bumping rights” to avoid losing their jobs. “Bumping rights” allow certain workers, such as those in unions, to avoid layoffs by taking another employee’s space.
Layoffs across Nevada’s gambling space
Elsewhere in the Silver State, casino operators have been forced to cut staff in order to weather the storm bought on by the pandemic.
Wynn Las Vegas announced it would be laying off 252 employees as it closes its performance of “Le Reve – The Dream.” An additional 52 members of staff will be laid off as the restaurant chain Hakkasan revealed it will temporarily close its Searsucker Las Vegas Restaurant at Caesars Palace.
Both of these closures are a result of the pandemic and are effective immediately.
Last week, Penn National Gaming announced an additional 58 layoffs at its M Resort, which brought the total number of layoffs at the venue to 410.
Other casino operators including MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment have announced mass layoffs due to the hardships caused by the pandemic.
